2_Detroit Lions1

St Louis Rams Gameday HQ

NFC NORTH
DETROIT
2014 STRENGTHS:
• Pass offense, strong offensive line, rush defense
Lions Offense
DREW HALLOWELL/GETTY IMAGES SPORT
During the Jim Schwartz era, the Detroit Lions were
consistently a very talented team that shot themselves in the
foot with bad turnovers, penalties, and undisciplined play in
general. In 2013, the Lions tied for second in the NFL with 34
turnovers and tied for eighth with 110 penalties. Quarterback
Matthew Stafford threw 19 interceptions, including 11
interceptions in a five-game stretch in the second half of the
season. These mistakes were the biggest reason Detroit collapsed
from a 6-3 start to a 7-9 finish.
Part of the problem was that the offense was too reliant on
superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson. “Megatron” is widely
recognized as the best receiver in the game but the Lions failed
to find good alternatives in the passing game. Nate Burleson and
Ryan Broyles were mostly injured or ineffective. Kris Durham
was forced into the role of starting wide receiver and struggled,
catching just 45 percent of the passes thrown his way.
To address this weakness, Detroit acquired former Seahawks
wide receiver Golden Tate in the offseason. Tate is not an ideal
top option but should thrive as the second option after Johnson.
Detroit also selected tight end Eric Ebron with the 10th overall
2014 WEAKNESSES:
• Prone to turnovers and penalties,
lack of pass rush
LIONS
selection in the 2014 NFL draft and brought back
veteran tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Expect the
Lions to use plenty of two tight end sets as they
look to use both Ebron and Pettigrew.
Detroit also has plenty of talent in the backfield,
with Joique Bell emerging as a dual threat
alongside Reggie Bush. Bell and Bush are both very
capable receivers and rushers out of the backfield.
They should help give the Lions an offense with
a myriad of passing weapons, but their rushing
contributions were mediocre overall, with the
team averaging just 4.0 yards per rush.
With a revamped offense, the most important
task for new head coach Jim Caldwell will be to
work on Stafford’s mechanics and make him a
more disciplined, consistent quarterback. All the
pieces are in place for Detroit to have an explosive
and successful offense. They just need to develop
some consistency.
Offensive Player to Watch
There are times when Stafford looks every bit like a
quarterback who lives up to his former first overall pick draft
status. Stafford has been one of the league leaders in passing
yardage for three straight years and passed for 41 touchdowns in
2011. Last season, Stafford had a 15-to-4 touchdown-interception
ratio through seven games. The potential is definitely there for
Stafford to be one of the league’s top quarterbacks.
The problem is inconsistency and a tendency to throw with
poor mechanics. Stafford threw four interceptions in a 24-21
loss to Tampa Bay and three interceptions in an 18-16 loss to
Baltimore. Detroit’s season went south at the same time Stafford
struggled. Now entering his age 26 season, the onus is on Stafford
to show that he can be both a prolific downfield passer and a
disciplined and consistent quarterback.
Lions Defense
Perhaps the biggest reason Detroit fired Schwartz is because
the defense has dealt with many of the same disciplinary issues
Calvin Johnson